Taraji P. Henson has never been one to mince her words. And during the press run for "The Color Purple," the award-winning actress spoke candidly about the pay disparities for Black women in Hollywood.

During a conversation with  Gayle King on SiriusXM, Henson broke down in tears when she recalled a moment when she contemplated leaving her acting career.

“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, being paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired.”

“I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing,” she said. “Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. The fact that we’re up here, there’s a whole entire team behind us. They have to get paid.”

This isn't the first time Henson has spoken out about the paltry payments she's received for her roles. In 2019, she told Variety she asked for $500,000 for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” only to receive $150,000 for the role.

Her brave stance speaks volumes about the systemic inequities ingrained not only in the film industry but in every corner of our society where Black women fight an uphill battle for fair pay.

The heart of the matter transcends Hollywood's glitz and glamor; it is a microcosm of the wider socioeconomic landscape where Black women are consistently undervalued and underpaid. Statistics lay bare this harsh reality: Black women earn, on average, substantially less than their white male counterparts and even their white female counterparts across various professions. This chasm persists despite their proven competence, proficiency, and academic qualifications.

The reasons behind this persistent wage gap are multifaceted and deeply entrenched in historical discrimination and systemic biases. Racial and gender biases intersect to create a formidable barrier that obstructs the professional progress and equitable compensation of Black women. Black women face the daunting challenge of breaking through a glass ceiling reinforced by deeply ingrained stereotypes and structural inequalities.

For too long, society has turned a blind eye to the multifaceted burdens Black women bear, juggling the weight of racial discrimination and gender disparities while striving to excel in their careers.

Henson's bold stance is a call to dismantle the barriers that obstruct the path to economic parity for Black women. Her courage to speak out challenges us all to confront and rectify the systemic inequities that impede the progress of Black women in Hollywood and in every profession.